Starting Next Week: 5 Year expiration date 2022

For everyone registering library users:  Full Use Library Cards have a five year expiration date.
Starting on January 1st, that means the expiration will be Todays month and day and then 2022

Desktop Computer Use Only Cards are still six months as are temporary addresses.

Improved Procedures For AV Annex Alcove

Dear Everyone,

We are changing things in the AV Annex Alcove and they will be even better!

We will be processing the holds in The AV Annex Alcove.  The holds will be brought out to the new open hold area which is  a very short rolling distance away.

We will then process the "check ins".  However, and Kelly and Deb get all the credit for this, because it never occurred to me:  We will now have our bin stacks where the table was.  The plank will be moved from the back of the room to right near our monitor.  This means, you can take materials directly from the bin, scan them and voila!  No need to offload on to tables anymore.

People at the Rear Circ Desk will be able to focus on Excellent Customer Service and, of course, on putting all the to be shelved materials in order on the trucks.

Staff Ambassador Assignments  for next week are coming out soon!

Exciting.

The Annex Alcove is Awesome

Dear Everyone,

I can not thank Gary and Todd enough for their help in getting our Annex Alcove to where we want it to be.  We now have a really nice amount of room on our tables for materials.  And, we have some new procedures.

First and foremost, empty grey bins are now kept outside of the Annex Alcove so that we don't end up getting too crowded in there.

WPL page demonstrating bins outside of alcove

Next, we need to be sure not to put anything underneath the tables as there are cords and wires there and that would be UNSAFE.

When removing materials from the bins, you will do better if you make neat piles.  Then, you can shift the neat pile over to the scanner and scan scan scan.  (Please remember that New Non fiction is now heading to the second floor so once that is scanned in, it needs to go to a second floor truck).

getting more bang for your buck, neat piles

inspect and scan, simple as that

Reserves in the Annex Alcove

Dear Everyone,

Today was our first day with the holds in the "Annex Alcove"* It was exciting!  Here are some early observations.

• Be sure that our delivery person puts the bins on the shelf in "landscape mode".

This bin is on the shelf in "landscape mode".  Parallel to the shelf

•  As per usual, we will unpack the holds first.  We place the "Adult" Books on one truck.
•  We place the AV holds and the children's holds on separate trucks.  For now, we send the "Adult" book holds upstairs to the Main Circ Desk.  We give the children's and AV holds to    rear circ.
•  We have a smaller amount of table space.  Here is my suggestion.  Put the childrens check ins and the AV check ins on the table.For everything else, pick up item by item and check in.  Then place checked in items on a truck
•  You will want a second floor truck for non fiction.  You will want a first floor truck for fiction,  new books, Reference (travel, urban fiction, ESL, Foreign Language, Career, YA, Large Print)  At the end, you will need to scan in the AV and the children's items and place on trucks.  Too many trucks? Bring a couple up....your non fiction can go to second floor, children's to     Children's room, etc.

This is the table.  Smaller.

Door to Annex Alcove

   

The missing Link!

Hi there,  

Below is a review of the how to when linking patron records.  We link records if one of our users has a card at a Minuteman Academic library and a Minuteman Public Library.  This allows him or her to make use of the databases, museum passes, etc offered at both libraries.  Please note that there is a paper file at the Main Circulation Desk called "Linking".  

Minuteman Library Network - Staff Information Center (http://staff.minlib.net)

Home > Link Patron Records

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Link Patron Records

Millennium has a feature known as Linked patrons, which allows us to put patrons into a linked group. From that group, staff can view checked out items for any and all linked patrons
This gives us an excellent way to indicate, in the software, that the 2 records for a single person – one a card for his academic institution and the other a public library card – are linked.
We have also confirmed that using Create Lists we can identify the patron records that are in linked groups. At the end of an academic year, we could use this ability to make a report (or even a Statement of Checked Out items) for those public library patron records that are linked to academic patron records.
On the Test server, I have made 2 records for myself, one as a Lasell student and one as a resident of Wayland, and I have linked these 2 records.
There are 2 different patron accounts (2 different p numbers). Each has the PTYPE appropriate for the respective Public library or academic institution.
What Linked patrons does NOT do:

• Cause patron blocks (delinquency) to apply to the linked records
• Allow requests to be fulfilled by checking out from a linked card

If a student holding an academic card comes into the public library, staff can easily search for an existing library card issued by a public library, or, create a new card – possible by copying the existing card and recoding the relevant fixed field. Then the 2 records could be linked together.
My 2 patron records on Test





Viewing my public library patron (when scanning 24869000081489)


If I click on the Linked Patrons tab, I can toggle between the 2 records


Below is the result of selecting my second record, the one that is coded as a Lasell patron


If I check off both patrons on the Linked Patrons tab, I can choose View checkouts and see the combined checkouts of the 2 records.


 The first 5 are on the Wayland Public Library patron record; the last one is on the Lasell College patron record.


In Create Lists we can search for any patron records that are linked to other patron records:


This shows that we can retrieve the linked patron records. From this file, we could then generate any end of year reports needed.

Keep in mind that Minuteman policy allows linking 2 patron records only in the case of 2 records for a single individual (namely a college affiliated record and a public library record for the same person.)
MLN does not advocate for linking family members together. The term Family ID is simply the Innovative terminology for indicating the presence of a linked patron.

Linking 2 records

Suppose a Lasell student (Polly Patron) comes in and wants to use the public library.
Retrieve the public library record (or create it)
Go to the Linked Patrons tab (which is not yet linked to anything, as indicated by the (0))


Click on Link to
retrieve the record to which you wish to link.



Search by Name or by the college barcode, and select the record to which you wish to link.



and the college record will be linked to the public record.

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Source URL: http://staff.minlib.net/content/link-patron-records

Coming soon: Online Patron Registration : A Brief Overview

Beginning on September 2nd, 2014, Online Patron Registration will become possible in the Minuteman Library Network.  This allows patrons to have a temporary card that is valid for 30 days.  Although patrons can borrow in Overdrive with this card, this is not a borrowing card.  They must come to one of the Minuteman Public Libraries (not Academic) to complete their registration.

A self-registered patron will arrive at the Circulation Desk with either:
---A copy of their confirmation email containing their new barcode
OR
---The Barcode number from their confirmation email.

NOTE:  If the patron does not have a barcode number, or did not get a confirmation email, they did not successfully self-register.  In that case they should be registered in the same way as any other walk-in new patron.

When the patron registers for their temporary card, they:
---have a card that will last for 30 days.
---can place 5 holds in the catalog.  No checkout is allowed.
---can place 7 holds in Overdrive.  10 checkouts will be allowed in Overdrive.
---can use Statewide databases.

Rules for setting up and using the temporary card:
---the Patron  gets a confirmation email with all necessary registration information.
---the Patron barcode is only visible to the patron in the confirmation email.
---the Patron needs a PIN to use the temporary card.  Instructions are sent in the confirmation email.
---the Patron needs to visit a Minuteman Public library with the confirmation, ID and proof of address to complete the registration.
---After 30 days temporary cards with PTYPE of Online Patron along with holds are deleted.

THE REGISTRATION FORM DOES NOT OFFER ANY DUPLICATE CHECKING, EXCEPT FOR USERNAME.  WHEN YOU ARE COMPLETING THE REGISTRATION FOR ONE OF THESE BORROWERS, CHECK CAREFULLY TO BE SURE THAT THIS IS NOT A DUPLICATE RECORD.

This is the end of part 1.  Stay tuned for part 2.  Note that this is not happening until September 2nd.